Means for testing oil



May 4,1926. 1,583,600

J. W. M BURNEY MEANS FOR TESTING OIL Filed August 29, 1922 for making'the tests known as tion of flash and fire points on oils.

UNITED STATES .PATENT OFFICE.

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n iieaaonaiea August 29, 1922. Serial no. 585,106.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I,

residing at Youngstown, in the county of Mahoning and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Testing Oil, of which the following is a specification."

This inventionrelates to the improvements in physical testing of oils. The invention relates particularly to an improved method determina- This test briefly described, is as follows Determining the minimum temperature, first, at which the oil being tested will g ve off suflicient vapors to form an explosive able container;

mixture with air, which temperature is the flash point, and is recognized by the passage of a momentary flame across the surface of the oil, when a free flame-is applied to the surface, the oil being heated in a suit- Second, the temperature continuing to be raised and the free flame being applied at regular intervals, a point will ultimately be reached where owing to vapors being given off in sufiicient quantity the flame of the flash, instead of going-out will continue burning. The minimum temperature at which this will take place is the fire point.

The test is now usually performed manually, in the following manner: A- thermometer is-im ersed in the oil, heat applied to thecup co aining the oil, usually a gas flame, and a small gas flame applied to the surface. of the oil; at regular intervals. The flash and fire are determined by eye.

The purpose of this invention is to im-v prove this test by substituting for the optical determination of the flash and fire point, a

determination based"upon the production of electrical currents.

The apparatus may be w olly automatic as herein described or partially automatic, due to the elimination ofthe recording features.

The descri tion and diagram as'hereinafter' The parts A'B andC,D are of the same kind of wire (copper)v but-the part B--C is JOHN MoBuRNnY, a citizen of the United States of America,-

' In the apparatus as hereinafter describedeither resistance ther 'mometrs or thermo-eouplles may be used.

place.

two difl'erent kinds of wires, are atdi fierent temperatures a current will tend to flow thru the circuit ABCD, the amount of which current by m eans of suitable devices,

well known and on. the market, may be recorded or made the-control of automatic machinery. The. amount of. the current will bear a direct relation to the difference in temperature between the points. B and C." I RcferrinlgI again to the diagram, the oil to be tested, is contained in the cup shown in cross section which is heated by the electrical heater GG. The surface of the oil is P-P. E--F is a device for producing an electrical spark at. the point E. 1 i

The method of operation is that the temperature of the oil is gradually raised by the action of the heater GG'. There is only a small temperature difference between the points B and owin to theone being immersed in the oil the other being only a very short distance above the oil. There being only'this small temperature difference, there will be a comparatively small brought up to the temperature at which enough vapor is being given off sothat the sparker E ignites the mixture of air and vapor, a flame across the surface of;the oil from E to C, the pointofthe thermo-couple at C will be momentarily elevated in temperature, which will'cause a throw or ump off the current. This first throw of the current will be recognized as the flash point.

These throws continue with each excitation of. the sparker, increasingin intensity until the point is reached'where under the influence of the elevated temperature vapors are given off in sufficient quantity to support continuous combustion, 1n other words the fire point. At this point a large permanent increase of the current generated in the thermo-c-ouple circuit A -B-CD takes chine the source of heat" would be cut off or removed and the flame smothered by shutting off the supply of air.

The actual temperature of the oil is being measured all this time by means of another thermo-couple arrangement, W-X-Y m At this point in the-completed ma-- AVAILABLE cow within a 65 butt ,t'jlib. hlibve the n.. .iceWsur4face of-the 011, and temperature indicatgtgiligkns'wwmfiw w we -'7- 4 n d'vld fti f t'estmg .011, thermo- 4, vice common to all instrumentsgusinggther .g epypleg tgp placed that they will be affected mo-couples for measuring temperature. t e difference in temperature within a Now there are on thei ihafikeh severfilfide body oiaibikeamdtmtia pomt just above the ices for taking very small cl lrrents such as surface of the oil; means for transferring in 'i e predii'ced by" the n1 6 '661;1'es find terms pf eleetrieal iziirrent the temperatfire' li'hiS-as iit'zbllr ei-Kfhfiatflffi Q'r es 56 t Ifd t em pe' re c' e'fi afly work;

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